Recently I was taking a walk around my neighborhood. It's something I had done a thousand times before -- oftentimes when I was sick and needed to prove that I could put one foot in front of the other.

But this time while I was walking, I wasn't thinking about an impending hospital stay or depleted lung function. Instead I was thinking about how uncertain my future is.

Three years ago, my fate seemed all but sealed. I was going to become sicker and sicker. I was going to drift further and further from normal life, and I was most likely going to wind up on a transplant list. But all of a sudden, I no longer feel tied to a hospital bed and a grim diagnosis.

Recently, my mom told me that cystic fibrosis doesn't have the final word in my life anymore. This isn't just because my luck changed or because I've adopted a new life philosophy. It is because a CF patient's chances have been drastically improved by recent developments in the disease's treatment.

So I'd like to thank everyone who has invested themselves in the search for a cure -- whether you're a researcher, doctor, or have contributed to a Great Strides fundraiser. I have you all to thank for this new, beautiful uncertainty in my life -- my blank map, my uncharted territory.

I promise that I will never forget it.